FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

WHAT IS A VPN?A VPN, or Virtual Private Network, is a service that allows you to connect to the Internet via a server run by a VPN provider. All data traveling between your computer, phone or tablet, and the VPN server is securely encrypted. As a result of this, VPNs:

Allow you to 'change your location' to access services unfairly denied to you based on your geographical location (or when you are on holiday) - in this case free British online TV content such as iPlayer, ITV, etc.

Allow you to get around censorship (by school, work, your ISP, or government)

Protect you against hackers when using a public WiFi hotspot

HOW DOES IT WORK?Normally, when you connect to the Internet you first connect to your Internet Service Provider (ISP), which then connects you to any websites (or other Internet resources) that you wish to visit. All your Internet traffic passes through your ISP’s servers, and can be viewed by your ISP. When using VPN you connect to a server run by your VPN provider via an encrypted connection. This means that all data traveling between your computer and the VPN server is encrypted so that only you and the VPN server can see it.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF A VPN?You appear to access the Internet from the IP address of the VPN server. Our servers are located in the UK so, as far as the Internet is concerned, you are located in that country and can browse the Internet as if you were in the UK. This is not just great for catching up on British TV, but in countries where certain sites are blocked - such as Iran, China or many middle-eastern countries - you can more easily access those blocked sites (Wikipedia, Twitter, international news, adult sites) anonymously.

Your ISP cannot know what you get up to on the Internet. It cannot see your data because it is encrypted. It cannot know which websites you visit because all Internet activity is routed through the VPN server. Your ISP can only see that you are connected to the VPN server. It is safe to use public WiFi hotspots because the Internet connection between your device and the VPN server is encrypted. We don't know or track what you get up to on the Internet, so please use responsibly. Illegal activities including downloading copyrighted torrents is, however, not allowed.

DOES IT REALLY WORK ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD?We have users in many countries who otherwise would have restricted or monitored internet activity, including Turkey, Iran, China, etc.

WHY SHOULD I TRUST UK TV ACCESS AS A VPN PROVIDER?We have over 1000 Facebook followers, and you can see many users' comments there. You will only find positive feedback, and no user has ever raised concerns about trusting us in the 10 years we have been in service.

I'M NOT GREAT WITH TECHNOLOGY - IS IT HARD TO SET UP?Not particularly. If you just follow the step-by-step instructions, you can be set up in just a few minutes. If you have any trouble, we will try to sort it for you either through answering any questions or, if preferred, we can connect to your computer (with your permission only) and fix any problems for you directly. Many of our users are retirees and not always comfortable with changing computer settings, etc. We promise to be patient and clear while helping you set up your VPN.

WHAT DEVICES CAN I USE THE VPN ON?

All androids / tablets

Laptops and computers

MAC devices such as apple computers, iPads and macbooks

You cannot set up directly on a Smart TV or Firestick, though - they do not support VPNs directly. Most people get around this by connecting their laptop to a TV via an HDMI cable. Do please use the VPN on just one device at a time.

WILL IT SLOW DOWN MY INTERNET?Using VPN always introduces another leg to the journey that your data has to travel. The further your data has to travel, the longer it takes. If you connect to VPN server located geographically nearby in order to access a website also located nearby, then you can expect around a 10 percent hit to the Internet speed you get without using VPN. If you connect to a server half way across the planet, you should expect a much greater hit. However, our servers are very fast to ensure the best viewing experience possible. Even so, if you are unhappy with your service within the first 7 days, we will refund your subscription no questions asked. And, you can cancel your service at any time.

WHAT KIND OF SECURITY DO YOU USE?Our servers are enabled for both PPTP and L2TP security. PPTP is less common these days, and L2TP adds a second layer of security and encryption.

WHAT IF I NEED HELP?Just contact us and we will try to fix your problem. If necessary, we may invite you to open a Teamviewer session so we can fix your issue ourselves. Teamviewer allows us to access your machine directly - with your permission - using a one-time password.

HOW MUCH WILL THIS COST ME?Prices vary according to how long you sign up for.

Monthly - £5.99 per month, paid each month

Quarterly - £4.99 per month, paid each three months (total £14.99)

Yearly - £3.99 per month, paid each year (total £47.99)

WILL I BE TIED INTO A CONTRACT?No, you can end your subscription at any time.

HOW DO I SIGN UP?Just go to the SIGN UP page and choose the billing plan that's right for you. All your details are secure.

IS THERE ANOTHER WAY TO PAY?We do accept off-line payments by Bank Transfer in the UK and Turkey (where PayPal cannot be used unless tied to UK bank account). Contact us if you would like to pay by bank transfer. However, this may create some delay in setting up your account.

WHAT IF I'M NOT HAPPY?Within the first seven days, just tell us and we will cancel your subscription and refund you in full. Anytime after that, just let us know and we will cancel your subscription - or you can do it yourself in PayPal.

IS THERE A GUARANTEE IT WILL WORK?There are always some very rare cases where the VPN won't work - outdated operating systems, anti-virus blocking the VPN, the VPN being blocked on a router, or you may just not be able to establish a strong connection due to your location or the route the data takes. Again, see our seven-day refund.

HOW CAN I CANCEL?Contact us and we will do it for you. Or cancel directly through Payal or Stripe.

IF I CANCEL CAN I GET A REFUND?We will refund within the first 7 days of any new subscription. We don't, however, refund unused portions of subscriptions, nor subscriptions where you may have forgotten to cancel.

ACCESSWHAT CHANNELS CAN I WATCH?Among the many free sites in the UK, the most popular are:

BBC 1

ITV or STV

BBC 2

Channel 4

Channel 5

ITV HD

ITV 3

ITV 2

E4

Cbeebies

Film4

You can also access other geo-blocked sites such as Sky if you have a paid subscription with them.

WHAT OTHER BLOCKED SITES CAN I ACCESS?If you are based in a country with strong censorship which blocks various sites or categories, you should be able to access these as if you were in the UK.

WHAT ABOUT DOWNLOADING TORRENTS?This is FORBIDDEN on our servers. Many major film companies post torrents with trackers in order to catch people downloading. In such cases, do not expect us to go to jail on your behalf!

IS IT REALLY ANONYMOUS?Yes. We do not track any sites you visit online.

WILL I GET INTO TROUBLE?No. What you do is your concern. But downloading copyright content is FORBIDDEN.

IS IT LEGAL?Yes. In most countries citizens have a legal right to privacy, and simply using a VPN service is legal pretty much everywhere. However, do know the legal status in the country you are residing. More repressive countries such as China and Iran, who understandably do not like the unrestricted and largely unaccountable access to the Internet that VPN allows, do ban VPN services from operating in their country, and attempt to block users from accessing overseas VPN services. Even in China, however, which has the most sophisticated Internet censorship system in the world, such blocks are only partially successful (and we have yet to hear of anybody getting into trouble just for using VPN).